Beobachtungen zur Herpetofauna von Nord-Malta und Gozo.

Elaphe 3-2011: 56-63. Mit 19 Farbfotos und einer Landkarte.

Inhalt:

Es wird über herpetologische Beobachtungen im Rahmen einer 10-tägigen Studienreise nach Nordmalta mit zwei Exkursionen nach Gozo berichtet.

lantermann-biblio

Herpetologische Eindrücke von der Mittelmeerinsel Île du Levant, Südfrankreich.

Elaphe 4/2010: 54-61

Inhalt:

Es wird über hepetologische Beobchtungen aus mehreren Jahren berichtet. Auf der Insel kommen eine Ampibienart (Discoglossus sardus) und sechs autochthone Reptilienarten (3 Echsen, r Schlangen) sowie eingeführte Trachemys scripta elegans und Testudo hermanni vor.

berg-biblio

Beobachtungen zur Hybridisierung zwischen Ctenosaura similis (Gray, 1831) und Ctenosaura bakeri Stejneger 1901 auf Utila, Honduras. 

Elaphe N.F. 15: 55-59.

Zusammenfassung:

Die honduranische Karibikinsel Utila ist der einzige bekannte Ort der Welt, an dem drei Großleguanarten vorkommen. Währenddem Iguana iguana rhinolopha primär die Feuchtwälder bewohnt und Ctenosaura bakeri exklusiv die schattigen Mangrovensümpfe besiedelt, bevorzugt Ctenosaura similis semiaride bis aride Lebensdräume mit starker Sonneneinstrahlung. Trotz dieser ökologischen Trennung wurde bereits in der Vergangenheit von fertilen Hybriden zwischen C. similis und C. bakeri berichtet. Neben der Beschreibung eines möglichen Hybridgürtels mit beonbachteten potenziellen Bastarden, wird die ökologische Anpassungs- und Ausbreitungsfähigkeit von C. similis aufgezeigt.

schulte-biblio

The reptile species assemblage of the Soutpansberg (Limpopo Province, South Africa) and its characteristics.

Salamandra 46(3): 147-166.

Abstract:

The Soutpansberg situated in  north-eastern South Africa was investigated with respect to its reptile species diversity, geographic range of the species and habitat utilisation. Typical inselberg characteristics are discussed in the context of the herpetofauna and compared with the Blouberg, an isolated mountain range to the west of the Soutpansberg. Possible biogeographic links between the species assemblage of the Soutpansberg and adjacent areas are discussed in  the context of present geological and climatic conditions within the area. The Soutpansberg reptile community clearly shows effects of isolation. the mistbelt and the grassland on the summits, which both withstood climatic oscillations in the past, harbour the majority of species and most of the endemic taxa in particular. Hence, these areas are of significant ecological value for the reptile community. Rocky habitats and the cooler and moister climate on the mountain provide exceptional conditions within this area. Most of the Soutpansberg endemics exhibit a rupicolous lifestyle and a large number of species are adapted to mesic conditions. A high proportion of Afromontane species was detected. Furthermore, eastern coastal and Lowveld elements exert an inuence on the species composition whereas the Kalahari elements are of lesser importance. Tropical forest species are completely absent. the Soutpansberg harbours more endemics (nine taxa) compared to the Blouberg (three taxa) due to its larger size and the resultant decreased risk of extinction.

kirchhof-biblio

Habitat Determinants of the Threatened Sahel Tortoise Centrochelys sulcata At Two Spatial Scales.

Herpetological Conservation and Biology 12(2): 402–409.

The African Spurred Tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata), the second largest tortoise species in the world, is threatened with extinction because of a variety of threats, including habitat loss. Because details of habitat use for this species have not been published for wild populations of this species, we conducted this study to qualify and quantify habitat selection at two spatial scales in Burkina Faso and Niger (West Africa). Tortoises were active above-ground almost exclusively in August, during the peak of the wet season. We surveyed seven potential habitat types but the majority of adult and juvenile tortoises were observed in only two, dry river beds (locally named kori) and stabilized dunes. We used GIS (Geographical Information System) to map the known distribution of the African Spurred Tortoise in both countries in relation to the availability of kori. The habitat preference of African Spurred Tortoises widely overlaps with the occurrence of kori (and not permanent rivers or other water bodies) in the landscape. We discuss the biological and ecological reasons explaining the results, as well as the conservation consequences.

petrozzi-biblio

Chamäleons die unbekannten Wesen: Vorstellung von Rhampholeon acuminatus.

Chamaeleo, Mitteilungsblatt Nr. 37 der AG Chamäleons in  der DGHT. 18 (2): 30-33.

Volltext

Zusammenfassung:

Dieser skurrile Vertreter der kontinentalafrikanischen Stummelschwanzchamäleons wurde – nachdem er schon einige Jahre vorher im Internet und als „Montane  Pigmy Chameleon“ auf einem Poster von Joe BERADUCCI zu bewundern war – erst 2006 von Jean MARIAUX und Colin TILBURY als Rhampholeon acuminatus beschrieben und der Untergattung Rhinodigitum zugeordnet. Der Name leitet sich vom lateinischen „acuminare“ (schärfen) ab und bezieht sich auf die vielen spitzen, scharfkantigen Tuberkelschuppen auf Kopf und Körper der Tiere.

Es folgen Abschnitte über die Verbreitung, Merkmale, Fortpflanzung und Gefährdung.

müller-biblio

The pygmy chameleons of the eastern Arc range (Tanzania): Evolutionary relationships and the description of three new species of Rhampholeon (Sauria: Chamaeleonidae).

Herpetological Journal 16 (3): 315-331.

Volltext

Abstract:

The pygmy chameleons of the Eastern Arc Range forests in Tanzania are reviewed on the basis of  known  and newly  collected material. Two new species be longing to Rhampholeon (Rhinodigitum) and one to Rh. (Rhampholeon) from the Pare, Nguru and Mahenge Mountains are described. The status and distribution of the other species known in the area are reviewed, and an identification key is provided. The phylogenetic relationships between these taxa are discussed on the basis of small and large mt-rDNA subunits sequences and the relative importance of some morphological characters is evaluated. Hypotheses about the evolution of the group in the area are presented.

mariaux-biblio

mariaux-biblio

Multivariate species boundaries and conservation of harlequin poison frogs.

Molecular Ecology 27 (17): 3432-3451.

Abstract:

In this study, we present an iterative method for delimiting species under the general lineage concept (GLC) based on the multivariate clustering of morphological, ecological and genetic data. Our rationale is that distinct multivariate groups correspond to evolutionarily independent metapopulation lineages because they reflect the common signal of different secondary defining properties (environmental and genetic distinctiveness, phenotypic diagnosability, etc.) that imply the existence of barriers preventing or limiting gene exchange. We applied this method to study a group of endangered poison frogs, the Oophaga histrionica complex. In our study case, we used next-generation targeted amplicon sequencing to obtain a robust genetic data set that we combined with patterns of morphological and ecological features. Our analyses revealed the existence of at least five different species in the histrionica complex (three, new to science), some of them, occurring in small isolated populations outside any protected areas. The lineage delimitation proposed here has important conservation implications as it revealed that some of the Oophaga species should be considered among the most vulnerable of the Neotropical frogs. More broadly, our study exemplifies how multiple-amplicon and multivariate statistical techniques can be integrated to successfully identify species and their boundaries.

posso-biblio

Extra-Mediterranean glacial refuges in barred and common grass snakes (Natrix helvetica, N. natrix).

Scientific Reports 8, Article number: 1821 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-20218-2.

Abstract:

Extra-Mediterranean glacial refugia of thermophilic biota, in particular in northern latitudes, are controversial. In the present study we provide genetic evidence for extra-Mediterranean refugia in two species of grass snake. The refuge of a widely distributed western European lineage of the barred grass snake (Natrix helvetica) was most likely located in southern France, outside the classical refuges in the southern European peninsulas. One genetic lineage of the common grass snake (N. natrix), distributed in Scandinavia, Central Europe and the Balkan Peninsula, had two distinct glacial refuges. We show that one was located in the southern Balkan Peninsula. However, Central Europe and Scandinavia were not colonized from there, but from a second refuge in Central Europe. This refuge was located in between the northern ice sheet and the Alpine glaciers of the last glaciation and most likely in a permafrost region. Another co-distributed genetic lineage of N. natrix, now massively hybridizing with the aforementioned lineage, survived the last glaciation in a structured refuge in the southern Balkan Peninsula, according to the idea of ‘refugia-within-refugia’. It reached Central Europe only very recently. This study reports for the first time the glacial survival of a thermophilic egg-laying reptile species in Central Europe.

kindler-biblio

Distribution and current status of herpetofauna in the Gediz Delta (Western Anatolia, Turkey).

Herpetology Notes 11: 1-15 (2018) (published online on 10 January 2018)

Abstract:

In  this study, we conducted an inventory of amphibians and reptiles between 2013 and 2016 in the Gediz Delta (İzmir, Turkey). The field results were combined with existing records. According to the data obtained, a total of 35 herptile species live in the region, comprising 7 amphibians  (2 urodeles, 5  anurans) and 28  reptiles (6 chelonians,  10 lizards and  12 snakes). Five species (Lissotriton vulgaris, Triturus ivanbureschi, Heremites auratus, Platyceps collaris and Telecopus fallax) were recorded  for the first time in the Gediz Delta during the study. A chorotype  classification and potential threats of the species are also presented.

arslan-biblio